Sue G in PA Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I know in most areas spring has sprung (or at least is beginning to :)). A recent post got me thinking about those cold, dreary, rainy/snowy, windy, etc. days of winter when you can't or simply don't want to go outside and just want to stay in bed under a warm blanket and cup of hot tea/coffee. I get SAD and since I struggle daily with depression anyway...it is 10x worse in the winter. This winter, I really took a nose dive due to some outside circumstances and challenges with my ds9 (which I have posted about). Btwn the back and forth to the hospital with him and his therapy, school was barely getting done for about 6wks. in Jan/Feb. And then, when we finally did get back into a rhythm, I just wasn't on top of my game. I really let history and science slide and completely dropped LHFHG for my littles and focused only on reading, math, handwriting and lots of reading to them. Anyway, in prep for next year...how do you all beat those winter blahs? If you get them that is. :D I know some of you love those cloudy, windy, rainy days but me? Not so much. And I can't keep letting school "slide" every winter just b/c I'm not feeling 100%. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonK Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I have to take a high dose of vitamin D all the way through the winter. Have you had your D checked? It made a HUGE difference for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I have to take a high dose of vitamin D all the way through the winter. Have you had your D checked? It made a HUGE difference for me. Yep. This. I also vote for buying a winter property in Hawaii. :D I figure some beach time every winter ought to do the trick, right? :001_cool: :grouphug: From another boardie who tends to suffer from SAD- it's tough. :001_unsure: I really did find that upping my vitamin D levels helped, as well as making sure I got proper amounts of sleep- meaning I got to bed early and woke up early. The days I felt the best were when I was able to get myself up and going first thing. Daily exercise helps me too but I'll admit I'm not always that motivated to do that. :tongue_smilie: I did buy one of those full spectrum bulbs a while back and sat in front of it for 1/2 hour each day and that also really helped with my mood and ability to cope with the lousy weather. All in all, I still vote for the Hawaiian property. ;) Whaddya say, Sue, wanna meet up there come November?? :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Light Box Therapy ;) 30 minutes every morning does wonders :) http://www.amazon.com/NatureBright-SunTouch-Plus-Light-Therapy/dp/B000W8Y7FY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1301269869&sr=8-2 Oh, and moving to Colorado where we'll have a lot more sunshine during the winter :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Advice here from The Land Of Darkness.... Vitamin D - DS15 and I have taken 2000 units a day all winter. HUGE difference for both of us! Daily Exercise, even when you don't feel like it - I prefer to get outside skiing, even at night, because skiing does the most for my attitude, but walking on a treadmill and lifting weights at the gym work wonders. Splurge on Fresh Fruit (something other than the cold storage apples). The occasional winter grapes or even a pineapple that wanders here to the great North can make a difference..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Jane, what say we go halvsies on that property in Hawaii? :D That should help my SAD, but probably not do much for getting schoolwork done. The only schooling we'd get done in Hawaii would be surfing, swimming, sunning, making sand castles, etc. :D Seriously...thanks all. I do take Vit. D b/c my Vit. D is consistently lower in winter. I've often thought about a light but wasn't sure it was worth it. And exercise. Yep. I should exercise more. :glare: Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Jane, what say we go halvsies on that property in Hawaii? :D Definitely!!! That should help my SAD, but probably not do much for getting schoolwork done. The only schooling we'd get done in Hawaii would be surfing, swimming, sunning, making sand castles, etc. :D Well, that's your physical education for the year. :D Not book learning, but just as important. ;) Seriously...thanks all. I do take Vit. D b/c my Vit. D is consistently lower in winter. I've often thought about a light but wasn't sure it was worth it. And exercise. Yep. I should exercise more. :glare: Thanks! Yes, I'd say that a light is definitely worth it. I've had great success with using one (I bought a bulb vs. the panel like a PP linked) and would highly recommend them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Jane, what say we go halvsies on that property in Hawaii? :D That should help my SAD, but probably not do much for getting schoolwork done. The only schooling we'd get done in Hawaii would be surfing, swimming, sunning, making sand castles, etc. :D Seriously...thanks all. I do take Vit. D b/c my Vit. D is consistently lower in winter. I've often thought about a light but wasn't sure it was worth it. And exercise. Yep. I should exercise more. :glare: Thanks! We did a unit study on Hawaii one winter! We didn't actually go to Hawaii, but learned about the history of Hawaii and its culture. We decorated the house with tropical plants, dressed in Hawaiian prints, enjoyed coconutty-pineapple-y flavored foods and danced the hula. We read a lot of books from the library on Hawaii and volcanos and watched travel dvds, etc. The children still talk about it. We had a blast! Maybe not as fun as a real Hawaiian vacation but much more affordable. I now plan my homeschooling with the expectations that I'll struggle with SAD in winter. We work harder at other parts of the year when the work comes easier to me. Focussing on reading in winter seems a natural fit for the season. Read-alouds provide a significant source of education during the winter months. This year things weren't so bad where I live because we had a lot of snow cover, (which reflects more sunlight) but on years with little snow cover--and especially before I caught onto what was going on--it was really dark--both metaphorically and literally. Now I use bright lights developed for this type of thing. I moved a favorite swivel chair so I can sit indoors in the sun by a window. If I can manage to make myself, I get outside (and I feel better when I do--even though it's really hard to make myself do that.) I found several suggestions in "Winter Blues" helped me: http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Blues-Revised-Everything-Affective/dp/1593851162/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301280467&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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